Bench-vise.



F. A. SGHULZ, DECD.

1. SGHULZ, ADMINISTRATBIX.

BENCH VISE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1911. RENEWED 001-. 12, 1912.

1,096,395. Patented May 12, 19A

. 8 SHEETS-SEER? 1.

Jiwe 71257 COLUMBIA PLANQGRAPM 60.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

F. A. SG HULZ, DEGD.

1. SOHULZ, ADMINISTEATBIX.

BENCH VISB.

APPL'IOATION TILED MAR. 20, 1911. RENEWED 001212, 1912.

Patented May 12, 1914.

3 HEBREW-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA P co.. wASluNnTD P. A. SGHULZ, DEGD.

I. SOHULZ, ADMINISTRATEIX.

BENCH VISE.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 20,1911. RENEWED 00112, 1912. 1,096,395. Patented May12,1914.

3 BHEETBSHBET 3.

FRITZ A. SCHULZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS;

IDA SCHULZ ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAID FRITZ A. SOI-IULZ, DECEASED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 191 1.

Application filed March 20, 1911, Serial No. 615,761. Renewed October 12, 1912. Serial No. 725,535.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T,'F1u'rz A. Scnunz, citizen of the United States. residing at Chicago. in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have invented certain new and useful Imprmements in Bench-Vises; and I do hereby declare the following to be a tall, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has for its object to provide a device for automatically engaging and disengaging a screw-shaft with and from an internally-threaded member by means of which relative movei'uentof said members longitudinally of the screwshal.t is eileeted.

The invention is particularly applicable to benelrvises to which the same more particularly relates but may be capable of various other applications in tools and mach inery.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinat'ter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention: Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a bench vise embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. -3 is a vertical transverse section of the same on an enlarged scale on the line ;3--3 of Figs, 'l and (i-. Fig. ---:tis a central vertical longitiulinal section of a nut employed taken on the line ir-1t of Fig. 5--. Fig. --5 is a front elevation of the nut. Fig. -(5- is a traginentary central vertical longitudinal section on an enlarged scale on the line G6 of Fig. Fig. 7*- is a fragmentary detail vertical longitudinal section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 8-. Fig. -8-- is a vertical t ransverse section on the line S8 of Fig. -1--. llig. 9 is a fragmentary detail horizontal section on the line 9-9 of Fig. -T--.

My invention has for its main object to provide means actuated by rotation of a screw-shaft for automatically engaging the same with and disengaging the same from a coacting threaded, member such as a nut or threaded sleeve so as to enable said screw shaft, to be freely moved longitudinally relatively to said nut or sleeve in either direction when desired, and to quickly and positively engage the same therewith when desired so that relative longitudinal movement cl: said members in one direction can he ac- .complished onlv by relative rotation thereot.

in one direction.

The invention is particularly adapted to bench vi es and my invention com n'ehcnds a vise equipped with the aforesaid mechanism and which embodies other improvelnents in devices of this character which will be particularly described and ascertained in the "following speeil'ication,

The vise shown in the accompanying drawings intended to be mounted upon a work-bench so that the operating mechanism :t'alls below the bench. To this end I provide a member most conveniently cast which consists ot the jaw 1 which may be said to constitute the fixed jaw of the vise and which is adapted to contact with the front edge oil? the bench 2 indicated in dotted lines in Fig. -1-, said jaw constituting the vertical flange of a box-like struc ture 3 rectangular in plan and cross section; the latter being provided at its upper end with a peripheral llange at meeting the flange or jaw 1 at its forward end and which is adapted to contact with the lower face of the bench 2. The said member 3 is open at the top and at one side the latter being adapted to be partially closed by means of a plate 5 which abuts against flanges 6 and 7 respectively, and is held in place by means of a bolt 8 spanning said member 3 and secured at its other end in the opposite side wall 9 thereof. In the latter there is :1 rectangular recess 10 formed by bulging said plate. Below the bottom plate of the mem her 3 there is formed a rectangular sleeve 12 in which the guide bar 13 carrying the movable jaw 14: of the vise is received and guided. The said member 3 is provided with relatively wide end flanges 15 and 16 in which the said guide member 12 terminates and which constitute the end walls of the member 3, the flange 15 being intcgral with the aw 1. In the said end walls of said member 3 openings 17 are provided which are disposed in axial alinement with each other and through which the screw shaft 18 ot. the vise is adapted to pass freely, the said openings coinciding in diameter substantially with the greatest diameter of said shaft 18, that is, the diameter 01 the ridges of the threads thereof. The said screw shaft is rotatably secured at one end to the jaw 14 by means of the ball-andsocket joint shown in Fig. 7, the purpose of the latter being hereinafter more fully described. The lever arm 19 for rotating said shaft is secured to the latter in the usual and well-known manner. The said screw shaft 18 is adapted to be engaged by a rocking member or sleeve 20, the latter having two oppositely disposed internally threaded portions 21 disposed respectively beyond the respective ends of a central sleeve 22, the axis of which is angularly disposed relatively to the axis of the said threaded portion 21, the axis of the latter intersecting the axis of said sleeve midway between the ends thereof. Disposed upon diametrically opposite sides of said sleeve 22 are trunnions 23, the axis of which inter sects the axis of said sleeve 22 at the point of intersection of the axis of the threaded portions 21 therewith. The said threaded portions 21 are threaded on their concave faces to fit the threads of the shaft 18, the latter being adapted to be engaged there with or disengaged in accordance with tl e oscillation or rocking of said member 20 upon the axis of the trunnions 23. The position of the member 20 when engaging the threads of the shaft 18 is clearly shown in Fig. 6 and its position when the threads of the flanges 21 are disengaged from the threads of the shaft 18 is clearly shown in Fig. -4-. One of said threaded portions 21 is provided with a projection 24 from the forward face of which two projections 25 and 26 extend, the latter being parallel with each other and parallel with the axis of said threaded portions 21.

Mounted upon the screw shaft 18 and rotatable relatively thereto is a sleeve 27, the inner diameter of which is the same as that of the openings 17, the said sleeve being provided between its ends with an opening 28 through which a flat spring 29 projects, the latter bearing between its ends upon the ridges of the threads of said screwshaft 18 and being secured at one end to a projection 30 of said sleeve 27 as shown in Fig. 3, the other end of said spring being free. Said sleeve is provided at the end thereof opposing one end of the member 20 (the latter being that carrying the projection 24 and its projections 25 and 26) with a segmental fiange 31, the periphery of which is drawn on an arc of greater diameter than said sleeve and on an axis eccentric thereto. The said flange 31 is provided on its periphery with a segmental flange 32 extend ing toward the said projection 24 of the member 20 and between the said projections 25 and 26 thereof, said flange 32 being pro vided at its opposite ends with projections 33 and 34 adapted to engage the projection 26 to limit the rotation of said sleeve 27 relatively to said shaft 18 in both directions;

The said spring 29 serves to frictionally engage the said sleeve 27 with the shaft 18 so that rotation of the latter in either direction will rotate said sleeve 27 therewith until one of said stops 33 or 34 engages the projection 26 whereupon the shaft 18 may be further rotated in the same direction without further moving said sleeve. The movement of said screw shaft 18 to the right serves to cause the portion of the flange 32 lying nearest, radially, to the axis of the shaft 18 to bear upon the projection 25 to turn the member 20 on its pivot to the position shown in Fig. G- while rotation of the shaft to the left serves to turn said sleeve 27 in a direction to cause the portion of the flange 32 farthest radially removed from the axis of the shaft 18 to bear upon the lower portion of the projection 26 and thus turn said member 20 on its axis to the position shown in Fig. 4 thus releasing the threads of the shaft 18 from engagement with the threads of the threaded portions 21 and permitting said shaft to be freely moved longitudinally relatively to said members and 20 and relatively to the sleeve 27 as will be obvious. The latter bears at one end against the front wall of the member 3 which is coincident and integral with the jaw 1, its movement longitudinally of the shaft 18 in the other direction being limited by engagement with the projection 24 of said member 20 as will be obvious. It

will be obvious from the foregoing that 4 when said shaft 18 is turned in a direction to cause the threads thereof, if engaged, to draw the aw 14 toward the jaw 1, the sleeve 27 will be primarily rotated in a direction to throw the threads of the portion 21 into engagement with the threads of the shaft 18 thus necessitating continued rotation of the shaft 18 in the same direction in order to engage objects between said jaws 1 and 14. In practice,- before said shaft 18 is rotated in said direction it is primarily moved longitudinally relatively to the member 3 so as to bring the aw 14 approximately into the desired position relatively to the jaw 1 to accommodate the work loosely therebetween. By then rotating the shaft to the right the threads of the same will become engaged with the threads of the member 20 and upon further rotation of said shaft 18 in the same direction the work will become firmly engaged between the jaws 1 and 14. When it is desired to release the work the rotation of the shaft 18 to the left will primarily cause the sleeve 27 to be rotated therewith thereby throwing the member 20 into the position shown in Fig. 4- thus almost instantly releasing the work from engagement be tween said jaws 1 and 14 and permitting the last-named jaw to be freely moved away from the jaw 1 to the desired extent without further rotating the shaft 18.

The trunnions 23 of the member 20 are adapted to be journaled in openings in the plate 5, and the side wall 9 of the member 3 respectively, the former, when disposed in position and secured by means of the bolt 8, serving to hold the member 20 against movement in all directions relatively to the member 3 as will be obvious. If it is desired to remove the member 20 for purposes of repair the bolt 8 must first be extracted whereupon the plate 5 may be removed and thereupon by first withdrawing the shaft 18 from said member 20 the latter may obviously be removed.

In using vises it is frequently desired to dispose the opposing jaws thereof angularly to each other in order to enable the same to accommodate themselves to engagement of opposite faces of work to be operated upon which may be disposed angularly to each other. I have, therefore, provided means in the present vise for either maintaining said jaws 1 and 14 parallel with each other or permitting them to assume positions angularly relatively to each other. This I accomplish by mounting upon one end of the member 13 a substantially cylindrical projection or head 35 having a vertical axis coincident with the vertical axis of the ball 36 upon the forward end portion of the screw shaft 18 which fits within a substantially spherical recess 37 in the jaw 14 and is held in place therein by means of the plate 38 having an annular flange 39 bearing upon the said ball 36 at the portion thereof projecting from said recess 37. The opening bordered by the flange 39 is laterally elongated so as to permit said jaw 14 to oscillate upon the vertical axis of said ball 36. At its lower end said jaw 14 is provided with an enlargement 4:0 projecting from the forward face thereof and into the bottom of which a partially cylindrical reeessis formed which is adapted to receive the cylindrical end portion or head 35 of said member 13. The latter is provided with a horizontal opening adapted to register with horizontal openings in the side portions of the lower end of said jaw 14 through which a pin 41 is adapted to be driven at right angles to the plane passing through the axes of both the screw shaft 18 and the guide member 13, the latter serving to hold said jaw against rotation or oscillation on the axis of said head 35 and ball 36 thereby maintaining the face of the jaw 14 opposing the jaw 1 parallel with the opposing face of the latter. Said pin 41 may, however, be removed when desired thereby permitting to the jaw 14 limited pivotal movement on the vertical axis of said head 35 and ball 36 so that it may accommodate itself to work having contact points or faces disposed in non-parallel vertical planes. The head 35 of the said memher 13 is preferably produced by inserting one end of said member 13 into a mold for casting said head 35, said member 13 being provided with a plurality of lateral open ings or perforations through which the metal forming said head 35 is made to flow, as shown in Fig. 7, said head being thus firmly secured to said member 13 as will be obvious.

The vise thus constructed is capable of being very rapidly adjusted to accommodate work varying greatly in width. Its construction is simple and durable and is easily repaired as will be apparent.

By means of this arrangement the full burden of the pressureexerted on an object engaged between the vise jaws is thrown on the ball and socket joint axially of the screw shaft, regardless of the relative positions of the said jaws, the thrust being transmitted by the screw shaft to the jaws at a point much nearer to their engaging faces than is possible with swivel jaw vises having the screw shaft housed by the guide member carrying the movable jaw.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a vise, a member adapted to be rigidly mounted upon a support, a member movable relatively thereto, a screw-shaft for imparting movement to the latter relatively to the former, a member pivotally engaged with said rigid' member and provided with an opening for the passage of said screw-shaft, portions at opposite sides and ends of said member threaded on their inner faces to engage the threads of said screw-shaft, a sleeve on said screw-shaft longitudinally and rotatably movable relatively thereto, a member carried by said sleeve yieldingly engaging said screw-shaft to cause said member to rotate therewith, means carried by said sleeve operatively engaging said member to impart pivotal movement thereto in opposite directions in ac cordance with the direction of rotation of the said screw-shaft to throw the threaded portions of said member into and out of engaging relation to said screw-shaft, and stops for limiting the movement of said sleeve longitudinally and rotatably relatively to the said member.

2. In a vise, a member adapted to be rigidly mounted upon a support, a member movable relatively thereto, a screw-shaft for imparting movement to the latter relatively to the former, a member pivotally engaged with said rigid member and provided with an opening for the passage of said screwshaft, portions at opposite sides and ends of said member and threaded on their inner faces to engage the threads of said screwshaft, a sleeve on said screw-shaft longitudinally and rotatably movable relatively thereto, a member carried by said sleeve yieldingly engaging said screw-shaft to cause said member to rotate therewith, a segmental flange carried by said sleeve par allel with its axis and having its opposite ends disposed at relatively different dis tances from said axis, and projections on said member between which said flange is received and engaged, said flange being adapted by rotation of said sleeve by said screw-shaft in respectively opposite directions to impart pivotal movement to said member in respectively opposite directions to throw said threaded portions thereof into and out of engaging relation respectively to said screw-shaft.

3. In a vise, a member adapted to be rigidly mounted upon a support, a member movable relatively thereto, a screw-shaft for imparting movement to the latter relatively to the former, a member pivotally engaged with said rigid member and provided with an opening for the passage of said screwshaft, portions at opposite sides and ends of said member and threaded on their inner faces to engage the threads of said screwshaft, a sleeve on said screw-shaft longitudinally and rotatably movable relatively thereto, a member carried by said sleeve yieldingly engaging said screw-shaft to cause said member to rotate therewith, a segmental flange carried by said sleeve par-- allel with its axis and having its opposite ends disposed at relatively different dis tances from said axis, and projections on said member between which said flange is received and engaged, said flange being adapted by rotation of aid sleeve by said screw-shaft in respectively opposite directions to impart pivotal movement to said member in respectively opposite directions to throw said threaded portions thereof into and out of engaging relation respectively to said screw-shaft, and projections at the respective ends of said flange adapted to engage at least one of said projections of said member to limit the rotation of said sleeve relatively thereto.

a. In a vise, a member carrying the rigid jaw adapted to be secured to a support, a box forming an integral part of said memher having a removable side wall, a screwshaft passing through openings in the end walls of said box, a sleeve equipped with trunnion journaled in openings in the side walls of said box and through which said screw-shaft is adapted to pass freely, a member supported in a guide below said box carrying the movable jaw, connection between the latter and said screw-shaft, threaded portions at opposite sides and ends of said sleeve and concentric with a common axis, a projection on one of said flanges, a pair of projections carried by the latter disposed parallel with said axis,'a sleeve loosely mounted on said screw shaft and disposed between the last-named flange of said sleeve and the adjacent end wall of said box, a cammember carried by said last-named sleeve engaging the last-named projections and adapted during rotation relatively thereto to turn said first-named sleeve on its pivot to throw the threads of said portions into and out of engaging relation to the threads of said screw-shaft, means for yieldingly engaging the last-named sleeve with said screw-shaft for causing the same to rotate in unison, and means for limiting the rotation of said last-named sleeve relatively to the first-named in either direction.

5. In a vise, the combination with a fixed jaw member, of a guide member slidable therein, a movable aw carried by the guide member, a screw shaft for imparting movement to the movable jaw and its carrying member relatively to the fixed aw member; and a universal joint connection between said screw shaft and said movable jaw, the said joint including means whereby said movable jaw and said screw shaft are immovable relatively to each other in a direction of the axis of the latter; the movable jaw being carried by the guide member upon a pivot at right angles to the plane passing through the axes of both the screw shaft and the guide member, and being immovable with respect to the guide member in a direction transverse to the axis of the saidpivot.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRITZ A. SCHULZ.

Witnesses M. M. BOYLE, H. L. HALE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

